30 December 2008

monday we went with a small group of homeschooling families to watch the rose parade floats being assembled. like last year, thehobbit & i were amazed at all we saw. unlike last year, the field trip landed on manlyman's day off, so he was able to join us. after a lifetime of watching the parade on television; seeing the floats in person, as they are being covered in seeds & flowers? there is just nothing like it.

there was something that topped it though. it was watching our kids after they discovered an area covered in acorns!

you would have thought they'd found a field of chocolates, so giddy were they. we adults sat on boulders, enjoying the much-needed sunshine, & watched our children filling their packs to near bursting.

we also indulged in plates of garlic fries. i thought they would be dusted in garlic salt, but no! they were tossed with chunks of lightly fried garlic. wow. that's all i can say to describe the flavor. wow.

i am so grateful for a child who (at ten) still is thrilled by the simple things in life. i'm also grateful his friends are as well. i just wish i'd gotten a shot of all of them with their little bums in the air, because it was quite the sight.

27 December 2008

our christmas was simply lovely. we spent a quiet morning at home, exchanging prezzies, & watching thehobbit figure out how to work his new typewriter. then; as we do every year; we headed over to sweet pom's house for an all-day brunch.

this tradition began in 2002, with thepoms taking pity on thehobbit & myself. both sides of my family live far away, & back then manlyman still had to work christmas. they invited us to join them, & have done so ever since. 2 years later manlyman was no longer scheduled for christmas, so joined the fray. i cannot imagine the holiday without thepoms - they are our family. they are also as nutty as they come, but we like them that way.

***

since then we've been unwinding, & playing with our new toys. yesterday paper & i took the kids to the beach so they could ride their new scooters. with them on wheels were able to keep a fairly decent walking pace. the wind was much too cold, but it was worth it to spend time at the ocean. it's just so beautiful there, & the air is so fresh.

how was your christmas? how has your hanukkah been? what are your plans for new year's eve?

23 December 2008

yesterday began stormy both outside & in. manlyman's mom was supposed to spend an early christmas with us, but a heavy snowfall on her mountain kept her away. this made an already rainy, gloomy day much more gloomy for a certain hobbit.

just as we were finishing lunch, the mail arrived. packages from my parents! i knew what his prezzies were, so i knew one of them was just the thing to brighten his day. manlyman gave me a brief version of his annual you cannot open that. it isn't xmas yet. lecture, & i bopped over to little misery to give him the most perfect prezzie ever.

this kit is amazing! it's a wooden, 185-piece puzzle that makes over 30 pieces of dollhouse furniture. he tore into it, squealing with glee, then spent the next 2 hours happily building teensy tables, chairs, & the rest.

they need to be glued still, but that can wait. he was talking about painting & staining pieces, which i hope he does, because right now it's all looking a bit like an unfinished furniture shop.

right now there is a pile of furniture he's yet to install, as well as a pile of things he made out of bits & bobs. i'm trying to convince him to keep some of the better things he created, because i don't want him to think that store-bought is better to have than handmade. that said? i shall not cry to see the majority of corks, match boxes, & their ilk hit the rubbish bin.

it's safe to say that the prezzie saved the day. my favorite thing in the kit?

heehee.

i hope your day is lovely.

~peace.

** the little bowls were purchased here. the toy cubicles are mega legos turned on their side. the cool bamboo wall behind the toilet is from the japanese dollar store - it's tabletop zen garden furniture. **

21 December 2008

this holiday season seemed to sneak up on me. i had been prepping for it, & we'd been taking part in the usual events, but still i feel as though it jumped out & yelled boo!

as much as it saddens thehobbit to see animals in captivity, he was excited to see reindeer. after awhile he began whispering to them that he wished he could set them free. we pointed out they could fly away whenever they wanted, but he just gave us the look.

it's been unusually cold for this part of the world. normally i welcome the cold, but this year my body isn't tolerating it well. the extra layers of clothing i've had to wear may get me some odd looks out & about, but it helps me pretend that it is going to snow any day now.

this is a portion of disneyland's castle lit for the winter holiday season. it truly is beautiful in person. we'd planned on staying late to see the fireworks, & the snow fall, but thehobbit was just too tired.

***

we are now officially in winter (summer for you other hemisphere readers), & this year the season's change marks the beginning of the december holidays. it's fun having them all squished together this way. thehobbit got a kick out of finishing his countdown box (ours goes to the solstice) & lighting the menorah all in one weekend. to make it more squished than it already is, tomorrow manlyman's mom is coming to town for an early christmas day.

i hope that whatever you do (or don't) celebrate this time of year, is one marked with much joy, & as always...

20 December 2008

once on etsy's front page, click on the children's showcaseupdated info showcaserectangle. that should pop up the page of today's feature sellers, then from the drop-down menu choose children, & that's where you'll find me :-)

when you purchase something today, write in the comment section of your order i'm your one & only reader!, & i'll include a little something just for you.

all but 2 of the lunch kits sold, which thrilled me to no end. can you guess who was the first to go?

there was a freezing wind that lasted all day, but it didn't keep the people away, & everyone was in good spirits. happy sellers & happy customers can make almost any weather tolerable. i'm not yet warm though. i may never be.

thank you to all the wonderful customers & visitors, & most especially to my fellow dragonflies!

14 December 2008

i'm taking a short break from my all-day nap, to let you know that yesterday's show was a huge success! there is so much to tell you, plus photos to share - but not today. today the focus is doing nothing more strenuous than changing the channel on the television.

10 December 2008

hiya. no time for a proper chat today, but i did want to let you know that i've listed 2 lunch kits in theshop. there are more in the works, so check back if you don't see a style that suits you or your shorty.

the flower on this sweet lunch kit was made from a wool sweater, a big button, & squiggly stitching on the machine. if you want to see the containers that come with it, look here.

09 December 2008

i thought i'd share a few projects i'm readying for this saturday's winter faire.

these teeny mushrooms are currently my favorite thing to create. painting on the dots is so meditative. each set of 3 comes with a small cloth bag. for the show, i had to package them in plastic so the mushrooms could be seen. for the shop, they'll just come in their cloth bag; without the wasteful plastic. there is a larger mushroom that will be included in future sets.

this guy is 1 of a few i'll be trying at winter faire. each small tote has a set of 3 stainless steel food containers, & plenty of room for a water bottle, & more food containers. i've wanted to create lunch kits for quite some time, just never found the time. hahaha! not that i have time right now, but nothing says week of the show like giving yourself more work!

that's all for today. please come visit me this saturday - the information is up there on the right. bring the whole family; waldorf winter faires are great fun!

06 December 2008

this is a project i've been working on for ages. i'm sure it would have taken less time had i a) not kept forgetting about it, & 2) been a better knitter. by now neither of those things should surprise you about me.

dear reader i give you (drum roll if you please) pixie knitting kits!

your eyes do not deceive you, those needles are made from toothpicks. should you want to make a set for yourself you'll need:

2 toothpicks, sanded2 beads1 skein of embroidery flossglueafter you have sanded the toothpicks as smooth as can be, glue a bead to one point of each. i recommend making sure the point will fit inside the bead snugly before gluing. be gentle though, because you don't want to break the tips.whilst they dry, roll your floss into a ball. you can wind it onto one of those little floss things, but i think it looks cute in a ball. more knittish, if you will.that's all there is to it. once the beads have dried, cast on, & get going!

those of you who don't want to make your own, i'll have some in the shop soon. email me if you want to buy one before you see it listed (whatever color you fancy.)

thanks to my dragonflies for convincing me to make them for others, not just to torture myself!

05 December 2008

yes i am blogging about my japanese store addiction again. thehobbit & i went today for supplies, & had a lovely time ever so slowly poking through the aisles. not only did i find nearly all the items i needed, but a few treasures talked us into taking them home as well.

photo :: property of ???

the search for the perfect timer has been a long one, & today it came to an end. we stood there for literally 5 minutes trying to decide between the chicken & the egg. i don't know which came first, but you can see which came home. that photo is not mine, (did i tell you the menfolk stole my camera's batteries to play guitar hero?) i found it in a search, & now cannot find the owner.

in addition to the amazing treasures to be found, i love the wonky translation. yes i know i've said so before - you are sassy tonight. sometimes they make little sense, but usually they are sweet.

a box of colored pencils: it is finished without adding any color on pencil stick & keeps feeling of natural taste. wood is natural blessing. present from natural material. gentleness of wood, natural warmth are felt every time you use.

a spool of thread: almighty spun thread for sewing machine. for handsewing no problem.

a note pad: peace is happy when i see you.

they just make me smile. the women who work there make me smile as well - they are always so nice.

04 December 2008

kats in the belfry is featured all day today (4th december) in the toys category!!! visit etsy, then choose toys from the drop-down menu, & you'll see me! right now it's showing one of my crowns. if you click on the picture, it opens a larger view, plus a peek at other items featured.

yes i know - my geek is showing. sorry, things like this make me giggley.

why are you still here? go shopping! don't forget to tell me i sent you.

03 December 2008

i'min love with this crown. the color, the stripety buttons, the simplicity. i keep nearly removing it from the shop, so i can keep it all to myself.

so. yeah. i'm tired. this marathon sewing & crafting thing is exhausting. that, & for some unmaudely reason i have been waking just after 4am for nearly a week now. what the?

***

completely unrelated, but i just had to share: i don't know if you remember me telling you this last year, but thehobbit is obsessed with xmas music. he counts down to the week of thanksgiving, when one radio station begins playing nothing but xmas songs until xmas day. this year was no exception.

what is new this year, is thehobbit's love of youtube. can i look up a song? will you find me a song? is this song on youtube? & so on. every so often now he'll ask if i will find a certain xmas song; usually by a specific artist. in case you're wondering: yes he still loves elvis, but also enjoys bing, frank, & dean.

so this morning he asked me to look up a song, & was horrified by the video. the hair! the clothes! the isthataboyoragirl??! heeheehee